Galadhwen
by MrsRickGrimes
Summary: As chaos spreads through Middle-Earth, Galadhwen is forced to flee her village of Kindred. Aragorn saves her life and she joins him on his journey with Legolas & Gimli. Her brother taught her how to fight with a sword and she can hold her own. But not without tragedy along the way. Eventual Aragorn/OC. Set just before the War of the Ring.
1. Kindred

**Kindred**

Galadhwen leaned her head back against a tree and allowed herself a brief moment of rest. Her lungs burned from the extended effort to keep breathing after running for hours straight. Her muscles were screaming and her joints throbbing. The body of another Orc lay crumpled at her feet, and she glanced down at the sword in her hand. Rain had been falling steadily all night and most of the day, but now it had turned to a light snow. She was soaked to the bone and shivering as she tried to get her bearings.

The Orc pack had swarmed into her village killing all those who were not fast enough to flee. This was just another splinter from the massive wave of Orcs that had swept through Kindred before. She'd done the only thing she could do - run. Into the woods, where the terrain provided small amounts of cover when she needed to stop and catch her breath. Galadhwen had set her sights on the sun and knew she was heading west, away from Kindred and into unfamiliar territory. Twice she tried to circle back around to head North, but as dark fell and she lost her overhead compass she lost her sense of direction and focused on avoiding the pursuing Orcs. A numbing cold descended on the woods making Galadhwen's breath come hard and choppy.

As she leaned on the tree now, trying to get control of her breathing, she watched the snow falling lightly through the treetops to the ground below. A rustle of bushes sounded to her right, and she shoved herself off the tree. Spinning in one swift move, she grabbed hold of the Orc's head in both hands and slammed it against the tree with all of her strength. Once, twice, on the third hit the skull cracked open and she shoved the twitching Orc to the ground. Another appeared from the same direction, and she stuck her sword into its side before forcing her legs to move again. A thick tangle of tree roots appeared at her feet and she fell heavily to the ground, landing hard on her elbows. Another Orc had descended on her and she yanked the wide-bladed hunting knife her brother Morten had given her from the sheath on her belt and swept the Orc's feet out from under it. She bent and jammed the blade up through the base of its skull, then pulled it free and found herself running down a slope towards a babbling stream of water. Ice had formed on the rocks jutting out of the water. She slipped and fell, crying out as a sharp edge of rock cracked hard into her knee. She tried to stand, but her knee gave out and buckled beneath her weight. The all-too familiar throaty snarl of an Orc sounded close behind her, and she rolled over to face it. She drove her knife into its face, her fingers slipping in the black gore and losing the grip on the handle. She kicked the Orc away and screamed as loudly as her lungs would allow, because another was already on her. Galadhwen grabbed desperately at the leaves around her, searching for her knife, a rock, stick... anything.

She looked into the cold black eyes of the Orc and saw her own death reflected there... until the head suddenly separated from the body and she stared in utter confusion as it bounced away, rolling to a stop several yards away. Deafened by her own heart pounding in her ears, blinded by a blood-red haze that had begun to cloud her vision, Galadhwen rolled over and tried to stand, immediately falling down with a cry of pain as her knee gave one final-sounding _crack. _A shadow fell across her, and she looked up through the red haze.

A single figure stood looking down at her silently. Clad in a cloak with gloved hands grasping the hilt of a sword, the stranger said nothing, only stood watching as Galadhwen struggled to breathe. The two regarded each other without words for a long moment, then the stranger lowered the sword and stepped forward, extending a hand to her. More Orc noises around them in the darkness beyond helped Galadhwen make a decision. She took the hand and let her rescuer pull her to her feet.

* * *

"You're going after her," Camilla spoke quietly and Morten turned to face his wife.

"Don't," he said simply. "You cannot talk me out of this."

"I know," she said, and came forward to stand right in front of him. "But I have to at least try. Don't do this, Morten. We barely got out alive. What if you do not come back? We need you here. I need you here..."

"I'll get back," he said. "Even if I don't, you have Magnus and Paul. Sophia needs a mother-"

"And a father," she gripped his arm as he started to turn away.

"I know Galadhwen is probably already dead. But I _have_ to at least try."

* * *

"Maybe if we get off the road, out of sight, we can build a fire," Galadhwen said.

Aragorn just shook his head, frowning at the ground as if in deep thought. Galadhwen sighed and looked up, biting her lower lip as she looked at the stars just starting to peep out through the purplish dusky sky. They'd been running and waiting... running and waiting... it seemed beyond ridiculous that it should take to long to travel such a short distance.

"My brother is still alive, I am certain of it" she said quietly, speaking more to the sky than Aragorn.

"Your brother?" Aragorn's voice broke into her thoughts. She saw that he'd stopped pacing a few steps from her, and was watching her curiously.

"His name is Morten. He is all I have left" she explained.

"I am sure he is alive" he lied before moving away to check the immediate area. He came back in only a few minutes and found she had fallen asleep. Aragorn watched her for a moment when somewhere off in the distance a twig snapped, and the chorus of crickets fell silent. A second snap, and he rose silently, his sword in his hand. But the sound wasn't repeated, and soon the crickets resumed chirping happily, completely unaffected by the recent events in the world. Aragorn stayed standing and watchful for many long minutes before resuming his crouched position.


	2. Westward

**Westward**

Galadhwen awoke from a dream so abruptly the adrenaline surged through her head, making her dizzy and blurring the line between asleep and wakefulness. She had been dreaming about standing in a field. In the dream she saw tree's burning and a white horse lay slain at her feet. It was even more unnerving than the more violent dreams she'd had lately, and she got to her feet quickly, looking around for Aragorn. But he was nowhere to be seen, even with the bright moonlight above filtering through the trees and providing enough light so she could see for a short distance. She stood indecisively for a minute, thinking maybe he was just behind a tree somewhere keeping watch, but she wasn't sure which way to look. The longer she stood alone in the darkness, the more the adrenaline surged and she could hear her breathing start to catch in her throat. She realized then that the woods had gone completely silent, even the sound of the crickets had stopped.

"_Aragorn"_ she finally whispered as loud as she dared, fear gripping her heart as she cast wide eyes around the area. He didn't answer, and she heard no nearby movement that might give away his position. _My god... he's gone and left me here... _She took several deep breaths and stepped out of the small camp circle, immediately stepping on a twig that gave off a loud _snap_. She froze, and listened, but heard nothing, so she took another step, and then another. She kept moving slowly, groping her way through small branches and kicking the occasional rock. Suddenly she sensed movement behind her, and heard the slightest of rustles as an arm came out of nowhere and grabbed her around the waist. A hand clamped over her mouth, cutting off her frightened squeak as she felt herself being dragged backwards.

"_Shh!"_ came a hiss in her ear, and she fought against her assailant for only half a second before she realized it was Aragorn. He pulled her back behind a large tree and pushed her down onto her knees, still gripping her tightly from behind, hand clamped firmly over her mouth. A different fear started to rise in her chest as she realized how easily he could overpower her if he wanted to, and she started to push back.

"_Quiet!"_ he whispered sharply as she tried to speak, her words muffled. His grip on her waist tightened, and the hand over her mouth turned her head to the right so she could see what he was seeing. She caught and held her breath as several Orc's came into view, less than twenty feet from where they were both crouched. Galadhwen realized she'd have blundered straight into them, and her heart started to pound violently. Aragorn slipped his hand off her mouth and moved it to her shoulder, squeezing tightly and pulling her backwards until her head touched his. She could feel the side of his face pressed against her head, lips almost touching her ear as he spoke in an almost silent whisper.

"Follow me."

She nodded and reached up to grab hold of his hand on her shoulder as he let go of her waist and started to move backwards. She didn't dare look back as Aragorn pulled her into a run.

* * *

Legolas hopes to slay the stragglers of the large Orc pack he had encountered waxed and waned throughout the night as they led him on a chase that went on for miles. He'd been forced to stop for awhile and wait for the moon to rise to its highest point, simply because he couldn't see where he was going, but by the time the earliest morning light began to peek through he was on their trail again. He'd hit two more with arrows by then, and he knew the number was beginning to thin out.

"Got you," Legolas said quietly as he saw an Orc bolted straight ahead towards a clearing. He abandoned quiet movements and ran full speed as he lost sight of it. It took a few long moments for him to move around the thick bushes and climb a wide but low rocky hill. He frowned as he heard noise up ahead and as he pushed through the lower branches of a young tree, he stopped short, freezing in place at the sight of a crossbow pointing straight at his face.

"Legolas" Aragorn let out a sigh of relief at the sight of his friend and he lowered his weapon. Legolas blinked when he suddenly noticed the young woman behind Aragorn who was breathing hard and staring at him with wide eyes, a dab of fresh blood on her left temple.

"Who is this?" he asked casting a sharp look to Aragorn.

"My name is Galadhwen" she answered stepping out from behind Aragorn and Legolas noticed she was clutching her side with a bloodied hand.

"Her village was destroyed by the Uruk-hai; they head westward to gather their forces. We must move" Aragorn said slinging his crossbow over his back.


	3. Strangers & Woe Upon Me

**Strangers & Woe Upon Me**

Morten followed the tracks that led under the trees where the snow was still undisturbed and shaded from the sun. His heart was heavy with guilt for leaving his wife and daughter behind and the expression on Camilla's face had said it all. Galadhwen was the only kin he had left ever since they had lost their mother. He was ten years Galadhwen's senior and had brought her up. Morten knelt and poked at the leaves closest to him, looking for even the smallest hint of a trail, then sighed heavily and stood up again. The day was already half gone and his hopes for finding Galadhwen alive were slipping as each moment passed.

"I promised I would always take care of you," he whispered to himself.

As he rose to stand, something slammed into the back of his head. Lightning flashed brightly behind his eyes for a brief second, and the ground rushed up at him as he dropped like a stone.

* * *

"Galadhwen" Aragorn suddenly shouted but she was already running forward towards the Orc. It was tall, well over six feet, and hands reached out for her as an unearthly wet snarl escaped its mouth. She swung the sword low first, hacking hard and damaging those hands just before they managed to grab hold of her. She hit the Orc again across the midsection and kicked hard at its knee, making it double forward. She gave it a shove while it was off-balance, then raised the weapon high and hacked hard at the back of its neck once, twice, and a third time before the head separated with an indescribable ripping sound and tumbled to the ground.

"Impressive" smirked Legolas as he pulled his own blade free from the base of another Orcs skull and pushed the thing away.

"I told you to run" hissed Aragorn coming forward.

Galadhwen did not say anything and Aragorn watched as her expression suddenly turned to a clear wince of pain as she clutched at her side. He ran forward and caught her with both arms just as her eyes rolled up into her head and she pitched forward. Sounds of more Orc cries split through the air and Legolas tore around. Aragorn realized his heart was pounding as he lifted Galadhwen in his arms. Legolas turned around raising his bow for a shot as the first of two Orcs stumbled out of the bushes in full pursuit of them. The first one went down easily, but the second one was too fast to allow him to reload. He ran backwards pulling out his sword and swung it in a wide, upwards swing, catching the Orc across the neck and sending it flying backwards in a spray of black blood. Aragorn kept running until he came he came to a clearing and saw a cottage in the distance surrounded by a wide open field.

"Over there!" he shouted as Legolas drew up behind him.

"Ma," Florence Geissler spoke up suddenly, leaning over the sink to look out the window, her eyes fixed on the two strangers sprinting across the field towards them. The dark haired man was carrying someone and she was not sure if that someone was still alive.

* * *

Morten awoke to the sounds of a crackling campfire and the murmur of voices somewhere nearby. His head was pounding and he pushed himself up looking around with a momentary sense of wild confusion. He was lying in what appeared to be a rough shelter built with branches tied together. He groped around the ground with his hands, keeping his eyes fixed on the soft orange glow that indicated a campfire was nearby. His sword was nowhere to be found, of course. They had taken his small knife he had strapped to his ankle, too. He crawled out of the shelter and moved carefully towards the campfire ahead, using the cover of a large tree to hide him.

"Take one more step and I will cut your head from where you stand."

A tall shape emerged from the darkness and eyes steely blue like his own but harder, met his. Morten clenched his fists as the man circled him and he turned to see four other men standing around the campfire watching him, their weapons drawn.

"Who are you?" Morten seethed watching as the man who had spoken pulled off his nasal helmet revealing a head of dark hair that was longish and scraggly, and marked with heavy gray all the way through. His teeth were stained dark yellow as he grinned at Morten and raised his sword.

* * *

Florence sat in the kitchen in silence watching as Legolas picked at the cornbread while her mother Clara tended to the injured girl upstairs. The last few hours had bled together from the moment Aragorn had carried the girls motionless body inside and the frenzy that had followed after. Her mother had managed to close the deep gash that ran across the girls side with stitches but she was going to hurt for quite some time. Clara had wanted to know how the girl had contracted the wound but nor the man or the elf could tell them exactly how. Aragorn had told them the girl had been run down by Orcs and he suspected it had happened just before he had come across her in the woods. When he had spoken the word Orc, Florence's blood went cold. Two winters before, Orc's had slain a small band of travelers moving across the plains nearby. She had stumbled across the bodies of the fallen and could only imagine the terror they had suffered at the hands of such vile creatures. Galadhwen was indeed very lucky to be alive.

"She is waking up," Aragorn's voice broke through the blurred haze and deafening roar in Galadhwen's ears.

Her throat felt like liquid fire had been poured in, and the brightness of the room made her head pound instantly when she opened her eyes. She heard him talking to someone else in the room, and heard the sound of the single curtain over the window being drawn. Galadhwen tried to focus, but could only make out the vague blurry outlines. Someone pressed something against her lips and she drank the cold water gratefully. She heard a woman's voice talking quietly with Aragorn, then footsteps walking away and the sound of a door closing.

"Don't," she whispered. "Don't go."

"I am here" Aragorn said pulling her up so she was leaning against him. She let herself drift back towards sleep, comforted by his arms around her and the sound of his heart beating in her ear.


	4. Drifting

**Drifting **

"Morten, the forests are burning" Galadhwen mumbled in her sleep as something cool and damp pressed against her forehead.

"It is only a dream" a soft voice replied. "A bad dream that will go away when you wake up."

Galadhwen opened her eyes to see a woman smiling down at her. She had bright green eyes and dirty blond hair that was pulled back into a loose bun. Galadhwen tried to sit up, but a sharp pain through her side made her gasp and bite her lip.

"How is she?" Legolas asked from the doorway. Galadhwen looked up to see him frowning at her face, but softened his expression quickly as the woman turned and smiled at him.

"She is much better now," Clara said. "But she must rest for a few more days."

"What happened?" Galadhwen asked as Clara pressed the wet cloth against her forehead.

"Your friends brought you here after you collapsed. It was a good thing they did. If that wound had been left untreated any longer, it would have become badly infected."

"You need to rest" said Legolas firmly and Galadhwen sighed unwilling to admit how sore and exhausted her body was, but too tired to fight it anymore. Several hours later, she woke again, feeling much more rested and stronger. She noticed on the chair across the room sat her clothes, freshly washed and folded neatly. Her boots sat on the floor under the chair. She dressed slowly, allowing the stiffness in her body to dissolve at its own pace. The sun was just starting to peek over the edge of the trees across the field from the cottage, and light started seeping through the curtains drawn across the window of the small bedroom. Galadhwen was glad to see the sun, as it gave hope that the cold might soon drift away. As she made her way slowly downstairs, she heard voices coming from behind a closed over door and she paused for a moment before pushing it open.

"Dearie, you should not be up. You must rest'" insisted Clara as she stood up.

"I have rested enough for one lifetime. I assure you I am quite well" half smiled Galadhwen and she saw the older woman's face relax a little.

"Come, sit down and have some light supper. You must be ravenous" Florence said.

"I must confess I am" said Galadhwen carefully sitting down. "Where are Aragorn and Legolas?"

"They left a few hours ago. Legolas mentioned they were headed to the Riddermark" Florence said absentmindedly as she bent down to retrieve the pot of boiling water over the fire.

* * *

Legolas took the lead with his bow pointing the way up a narrow trail that appeared to be worn into the ground with Aragorn close behind. The terrain was far from rough, and nothing like the mountain regions they'd visited not long ago.

"There are fresh tracks, four maybe five different sets" Aragorn said.

Legolas led him into the woods and made his way around the thickest parts with almost no effort, and soon they were standing in the middle of what had clearly been a camp site for an unknown number of people not too long ago. They stood looking around in silence, then Aragorn tapped Legolas on the shoulder and pointed off to the right, where a pile of firewood could be seen just beyond the circular clearing. Legolas nodded and headed that way to investigate while Aragorn focused on the ground in the centre of the camp. A shallow hole had been dug in the ground to act as a fire pit, but he thought it was oddly deep for a simple campfire. He pushed at the snow around it, not sure what he was looking for and not finding anything out of the ordinary. He glanced up as Legolas approached him, and leaned forward to look into the fire pit. Charcoal remnants lay at the bottom, untouched by snow.

"There are some tracks over that way," Legolas gestured behind him. "They headed out before last night's snow."

"What is that?" Aragorn asked and walked a few metres to his left. The ground was stained dark red with what appeared to be dried blood. Whoever had been there had made a half-hearted attempt to toss snow over the area, but the sun peeping through the treetops had melted the thin top layer. Aragorn studied the bloodstained ground for a few moments, then walked away a few steps, studying the ground as he went and bending to pick up a broken twig once. He looked at it, then flicked it away and took a few more steps, still looking down.

"Whoever they were, they are gone now," Legolas called.

Aragorn's face paled an odd shade of gray as he pushed at a pile of dead leaves covered with a thin layer of snow to reveal a severed human head.

* * *

Galadhwen made her way through the woods feeling a very slight pang of guilt in her chest. She had wrestled with the decision to go for a while and was sure her decision was the right one. But she still felt like she was doing something wrong when she slipped out without saying goodbye. But Clara and Florence would have stopped her if they knew. She stopped once she reached a clearing and watched the surrounding area closely for any signs of movement, but nothing was there as she passed through. She felt hurt that Aragorn and Legolas had left so suddenly and without even a farewell. But she intended to find her brother. This was not the rash act of a scared, helpless woman out in the middle of nowhere alone. This was her decision.


	5. Brother

**Brother**

It was close to an hour before Galadhwen reached the top of the hill and the smoke that had prompted her decision to come this far had long since disappeared. But she was stopped short by the sight that lay just before her as she came out of a patch of trees and onto a short but steep slope. A large patch of snow was partially melted and stained red with what could only be blood. For a moment she stood still, and took a long, deep breath as she immediately started scanning the area, her hand wrapping around the hilt of her sword. Finally Galadhwen stepped forward and knelt down as if a closer look might reveal the source of the bloodstain.

_Someone was here,_ she thought. _Morten? Aragorn and Legolas perhaps?_

She walked over to a heavy tree branch, looking at something on the ground behind it before clapping both hands over her mouth. She heard her own breathing coming in rapid, shallow gasps and her vision started to blur and swim.

_No._

Galadhwen dropped onto her knees, a tortured scream escaping her lips as she stared at the remains of her brother that lay behind the log in a grotesque, twisted heap.

* * *

Éomer rode with his men through the tall grassland drawing near the lone woman who headed towards the main gate of Edoras. As he drew his horse up beside her, he was immediately struck by the stark whiteness of her face and the shadows under her red-rimmed eyes. Her jaw was set so hard he had to wonder if her teeth would break as she stopped to meet him.

"Please, help me."

_Help me_

Those words haunted Éomer in his every waking moment. Women and children, old men and the injured that had swept into Edoras over the last few months that uttered the very same thing. Word has spread across Middle-Earth that a darkness had fallen across the land and villages were being ravaged, their people slaughtered. Forests burnt to the ground, some swore they heard the tree's screaming. She was just one of the many that had come to Edoras to seek refuge and he saw the loss in her eyes as he extended his hand to hers.

* * *

Galadhwen hardly spoke to anyone and nobody bothered her, aside an old woman, Agnetha, who insisted that she eat something every few hours. She had been in the city of Edoras for just over a week and was sleeping on the palace's floor along with two other women and a young boy who had arrived three days after her from another village which had been attacked by Orcs. As she lay on the makeshift bed on the stone floor, she listened to the stream of subconscious despair floating through her own head. Galadhwen hated herself for it. Hated herself because she couldn't stop the downward slide into self-pity and hopelessness, and not even sleep could bring any real measure of relief. Sleeping only meant she would have to wake up and face the cold reality that Morten was gone. She found it easier to sleep only by pretending that none of this was real, and that when she did wake up, he would be standing there making her world feel just a little bit safer, just as he always had. Footsteps echoed across the stone floor and Galadhwen watched as two Riders of The Mark passed by.

"A large group of Orcs have been sighted crossing the lowlands near Dunharrow. Éomer has ordered that we ride out tonight."

"What are thirty riders to near a hundred strong Urik Hai? We are outnumbered."

"You will need more than thirty riders" said Galadhwen and both men turned watching warily as she approached them.

"There are none" the older man stated. "Not ones anyway that will ride under Éomers command."

"I will ride with you" she said simply and a mocking laugh escaped the other man's lips.

"You are a woman."

"I have skill with a blade and as able as any man" Galadhwen said firmly.

"You are hardly a Rider of Rohan - " he said contempt in his voice.

"Hold your tongue, Gunvald" the older man interrupted. "I will not pass down help when it is so badly sought. Come, my lady, we will speak with Éomer."

"If she does indeed speak the truth, and Éomer allows her to ride with us, you know that Eowyn will only want to fight too" Gunvald hissed.

"Eowyn is Éomer's concern, not mine. My only interest is protecting our lands from Orc scum. As should yours be, Gunvald."

* * *

"You say you can fight, but as I look at you now, I see no warrior" Éomer said crossing the room towards Háma.

"Then you are not looking hard enough" Galadhwen called, a sharp edge in her tone as she followed him.

"Take her away" Éomer instructed Gunvald as he secured his sword into its scabbard.

"I have every reason to fight. The Uruk-hai destroyed my village, slaughtered our women and children-"

"Then you know that they will show no mercy" hissed Éomer turning around as Galadhwen pulled out of Gunvald's grasp.

"Do not take me for a fool, Éomer. I know the Uruk-hai know no mercy: they murdered my brother and I found what was left of him. I had to claw his grave out with my bare hands" she hissed and Éomer grew silent as her eyes bared into his.

"I will not take responsibility for you" he said eventually.

* * *

Galadhwen dug her heels into her horse as they headed towards the Uruk-hai, sword in hand. She was almost frightened by the odd, exhilarating rush of adrenaline that put a familiar strength into her arms as she swung it hard at the closest one. Éomer blinked in surprise as the head of the first Orc went flying with a spray of dark reddish-black blood. He cut down two Orcs himself as he rode next to her watching as Galadhwen took down another. She hacked at it with surprising energy, and when it fell forward she decapitated it with two hard chops to the back of the neck. There was not as many of the Uruk-hai as they had first conceived; perhaps forty as the most. Minutes later, Háma's drove his sword through the last Orc. He felt elated as Éomer let out a victorious cry and as he cast a look out to the plains into the distance, he called out that he could see three figures approaching, headed in their direction.


	6. Blame

**Blame**

Galadhwen's eyes rested on that of Aragorn as he approached the riders with Legolas and a third member of their party whom she did not recognize. Éomer lifted his spear and charged towards them with his men following close behind. She tugged on her horse's reign's, her eyes widening as the riders formed a circular formation around Aragorn, Legolas and the dwarf.

"What business does an elf, a man and a dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly" shouted Éomer.

"Give me your name, horsemaster. And I shall give you mine" the dwarf answered back.

"I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood just a little higher from the ground" challenged Éomer as Aragorn rested a hand on Gimli's shoulder.

"You would die before your stroke fell" hissed Legolas suddenly aiming an arrow at the spot right between Éomers eyes.

"Stop this madness" shouted Galadhwen unmounting her horse and Aragorn pushed Legolas' bow towards the ground as she jostled through the riders.

"Galadhwen" Aragorn breathed in astonishment as she moved past him and stood before Éomer.

"They are friends of Rohan" she exclaimed.

"You know them?" Éomer asked narrowing his eyes in suspicion as Aragorn moved beside her.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Glóin and Legolas of the Woodland Realm. We were tracking a pack of Uruk-hai across the plains."

"The Uruk's have been destroyed" Éomer stated signalling for his men to lower their spears. "But more will come. They always do. I ask upon you Aragorn, son of Arathorn, will you help Rohan defend these lands?"

* * *

Sitting on a wooden bench across the room was Aragorn, half out of his shirt and holding his right arm out of the way as someone treated a flesh wound high up on his side that he had received from an encounter with some of the Uruk-hai a few days before. Galadhwen met his eyes and realized he had been watching her since she came through the door. She stopped where she was and could do nothing but return his gaze. Gunvald approached her then whispering something Aragorn could not hear and he watched as both disappeared into a side room.

"She wanted to speak with you" Gunvald muttered as he closed the door over. Galadhwen looked down at Agnetha lying pale in the bed, and felt her chest constrict at the sight of old woman's thin, sunken face. The room was cold and even with the window open, the air was thick.

"It won't be long now" Gunvald's wife, Anna, whispered as Galadhwen moved forward to carefully perch on the edge of the old woman's bed. Her breathing was ragged and shallow, and Galadhwen noticed she was clutching a row of beads in one hand. Agnetha's eyes opened then and focused on her almost immediately. Galadhwen forced a smile as gnarled fingers clutched at hers and squeezed with surprising force.

"You watch out for him, my Little Angel. You watch out and do not let him catch you" Agnetha uttered.

"He will not catch me," Galadhwen said unable to think of anything else to say but Agnetha had already closed her eyes again.

* * *

Gunvald dropped the first shovel of dirt onto Agnetha's body, shrouded in a white sheet with tiny blue flowers. Galadhwen knew Aragorn was standing nearby, she could feel his eyes on her. She had not spoken to him nor Legolas since returning to Edoras and felt an awkwardness whenever she was around them. Everyone else had drifted away as she helped Gunvald and Anna pile stones over the grave and Aragorn lingered far enough away so Galadhwen wouldn't object to his presence, but close enough that she could still see that he was there. After a few long moments, he saw her head towards the direction of the stables and Aragorn followed briskly behind.

"Why do you avoid me?" he called out and she turned to look sharply at him.

"I do not avoid you. I simply have nothing to say."

"Galadhwen, we did not leave you behind intentionally. We had to find Gimli and I could not risk your life by taking you with us" he said and she returned his gaze steadily, then nodded and looked away.

"I believe you," she said quietly. "I admit I was hurt when I found you had left. But I do not blame you. I was nothing more than a burden and would have only slowed you down. Besides we barely know one another."

Aragorn watched without comment as she walked away and could not help but feel a stab of sympathy for her. Her face looked pale and drawn from lack of sleep. And he could not shake the feeling she holding something back from him.

* * *

"There! Over there!" Hámas shouted as a pack of around twenty Orcs headed towards the wall. Aragorn was already sprinting forward to catch up with the three guards who were ahead of him. He spotted Legolas climbing the fort taking aim with his bow and dropped the first Orc. He ran forward, fitting an arrow in for another shot and took down two more just as Galadhwen rode out on her horse, viciously striking the head of an Orc until it was little more than a wet spot on the grass. The attack was over in minutes but the silence seemed enormous and sudden. As Aragorn looked around to see a crowd of the townspeople huddle together, mostly women and children, he saw the blatant fear in their eyes. Éomer shouted for the riders to double the guard on every wall as he headed into the palace and Aragorn tore after him.

"You need more men, Éomer. If we are faced with a hundred Uruk-hai, these walls will not hold! You must seek help from Gondor" Aragorn exclaimed.

"Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell? Where was Gondor when our enemies closed in around us?" challenged Éomer turning around, fury burning in his eyes.

"Then I will ride to Lórien! An alliance once existed between Elves and Men, Haldir will not forsake us" Aragorn said, his jaw clenched hard.


	7. Onwards

**Onwards**

"Ride hard, Aragorn, son of Arathorn" Éomer said his expression firm, and his eyes bright and focused. Upon first arriving in Edoras, Aragorn had thought him fanatical and irrational, but having spent time in his company he saw only devotion - a very strong devotion to the people of Rohan - and a will to survive. At first Éomer would not seek help from the Elves but after much convincing, he had waned listening to reason other than his own pride. The decision had been made; Aragorn would ride with Legolas and Gimli to Lórien. Galadhwen shouldered her bag and Legolas watched in uncertainty as she mounted the horse next to him.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a low whisper.

"I am coming with you" she answered simply.

"Galadhwen, not this time" warned Aragorn extending his hand for her to come down. He watched as she bit on her jaw and stared him down, not moving from the horse. A long moment of silence followed until Gimli let out a hearty laugh.

"I like this one. She is stubborn. Almost as stubborn as me" the dwarf called out.

"I have made my choice, Aragorn" Galadhwen said firmly.

* * *

Galadhwen, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli rode across the plains as long as the light was with them and eventually were forced to stop once darkness had fallen. They tied up their horses under the shelter of a small cluster of trees and made camp nearby. Aragorn had calculated it would take almost a week to reach Lórien which lay to the north of the river Limelight. Legolas stood watch at the edge of the trees as Gimli roasted some fish over the small fire and Aragorn's eyes fell on that of Galadhwen who sat further out near a small rock formation, her knees pulled up to her chest.

"Why did you come?" Aragorn asked quietly and Galadhwen left her thoughts of Morten behind as she looked up to see him standing over her.

"I have as much reason to go to Lórien as you" she bit back and watched as a sigh escaped his lips.

"I wanted you to be _safe_. It was safer for you to stay in Edoras than it ever will be out here."

Four days later, they had covered more than a hundred miles and a diet of rabbit stew and fish every night had begun to take it's toll on Galadhwen. She was not used to living outside and had barely slept. Now she was crouched behind a thick tangle of prickly bushes waiting for Aragorn to circle around and catch up to the deer he was hunting. She could not figure out how he managed to spot a single drop of blood on a leaf, or how he knew a sprig from a bush had broken instead of just fallen, or how he knew when dried dead leaves had been disturbed by a fleeing animal. She had gotten better at moving through the woods more quietly, but still hung back when complete silence was needed. The sound of something crashing through the bushes a short distance away filled Galadhwen's ears and she frowned at the intensity of the sound. She was expecting a young deer, wounded, weakened and driven by Aragorn's pursuit. Her part was to head it off and force it to run towards the lake, where they could corner it and finish the hunt. Instead something else she had never seen before was charging right at her and she let out a scream as she bolted back into the cover of the woods just as whatever it was broke through and let out a loud snarl. Galadhwen ran at full speed straight towards their small camp risking a quick look back and saw nothing but brownish blackish fur and the biggest teeth she had ever seen in her life. She heard the _twang_ of Legolas bow as he let a bolt fly, and the beast chasing her was so close she heard it _thump_ into its thick hide. But the animal barely seemed to notice, aside from another angry snarl. Galadhwen's heart leaped into her throat as her foot caught on a root and she went down hard just as she reached the campsite, but her reflexes took over and she rolled to the side and snatched at her dagger, which was stuck in the ground close to where she landed. The thing was on her almost immediately, growling in rage as it gnashed ridiculously long teeth in her face. She flung up her arm to protect her face, and hit it across the side of its thick neck with the dagger hearing the thunk of another bolt hitting its hide. Legolas was suddenly right behind it, grabbing double handfuls of thick fur and wrestling it off her.

"Get up!" he shouted and jumped back as it whirled to face him. He kicked dirt up into its face and started to circle around to draw it away from her. Galadhwen scrambled to her feet and backed away as Legolas took aim and fired another bolt at it.

"What is that?" she cried out as it fell onto it's side, legs twitching with final reflexes and blood pooling on the ground beneath it.

"That vile creature is called a Warg" hissed Legolas and turned to face her. Galadhwen felt her knees shake as the adrenaline from the chase began to wear off and took the hand Legolas offered to her as they both stood for a moment, looking down at the dead Warg.

"It almost killed me" she breathed.

"It would have eaten you" Legolas said taking hold of her gashed forearm. The sound of a twig breaking loudly nearby made her heart leap, and Legolas span towards the sound with his bow raised before she even registered the noise. She turned, but Legolas elbowed her back so she stood behind him.

"Easy!" a voice shouted, and Legolas frowned as a man stepped forward out of the trees with a sword pointed straight at him. He aimed the bow at the spot between his eyes, and the man stopped short, recognizing that he clearly knew how to use it.

"That is close enough" Legolas said loudly, and Galadhwen heard more shouts as Gimli came into view with his axe aimed at the stranger's back, followed closely by Aragorn, sword in hand. The new arrival turned slowly to look at the two of them, then back at Legolas.

"Well," he said, lowering the sword slowly. "You have me outnumbered, don't you?"


	8. Poker Face

**Poker Face**

After a short but tense standoff, everyone but Legolas lowered their weapons, and the stranger introduced himself as Martinus. Aragorn required him to do some talking before letting him move from where he stood, but he did not seem to mind or take offense. He told Aragorn he had come from the North and had passed through the Blue Mountains to avoid the large numbers of Uruk-hai that swept across the plains.

"And you are alone?" Aragorn asked, somewhat surprised at the idea that the man had been surviving in rough country so well for so long.

"I have some family with me, lost a couple of others along the way."

Martinus looked around at them all as he spoke, taking note of their clothing, weapons and studying their faces in turn. His eyes flickered past Legolas as Galadhwen moved around from behind him and she instantly felt uncomfortable as his gaze fixed on her.

"This is no place for a woman" he said, turning to Aragorn. "You cannot stay out here in the open. There are Goblins around these parts. You should come up to our place."

"And where might that be?" Gimli asked, suspicion clear in his voice.

"Just past that ridge over there" Martinus gestured back towards the woods behind him.

Legolas walked over to Aragorn and Gimli, leaving Galadhwen to stand uncomfortably alone with Martinus. He grinned at her with his yellow teeth, and she moved back not wanting to get to close to him.

"I do not trust him," Legolas said immediately.

"Neither do I" agreed Aragorn. Martinus watched as the elf and the man nodded to one another. He had to play this one carefully and he slipped back into character as they walked back over to him

"I think it best that we part ways here" Aragorn stated and Martinus shrugged, casting a peculiar grin at Galadhwen before heading off in the opposite direction. Legolas shouldered his bow as he watched the stranger leave and narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"We should make camp elsewhere tonight" he said and Aragorn nodded sharing his concerns. This stranger had not just stumbled onto them, it was clear he had been watching them beforehand and that meant he knew where they slept.

* * *

"We are all fighting to survive," Galadhwen said as she moved closer to the large fire in the middle of the clearing that provided light and warmth against the chill that had only grown deeper as the sun set. "Whether we fight for ourselves, our family, friends... it does not make a difference. But when you _lose_ the thing you've been fighting for... the rules of engagement change. Fighting just to see the sun rise in the morning isn't enough."

"Everyone has something or someone they would willingly die for," said Aragorn. "The real trick is to find something to _live_ for."

"I lost mine" she said quietly staring into the flames and Aragorn shared a look with Gimli.

"You should all turn in" called Legolas from his vantage point at the edge of the trees when a wide, solid plank of wood came sailing out of the dark and slammed into his forehead. He lost all sense of balance and gravity as he stumbled backwards and landed on the ground. Aragorn was on his feet in seconds watching as four figures stepped from the shadows. Martinus held a crossbow at Aragorn and the other man slammed the board down again onto Legolas.

"Put down your weapons or I will put a bolt into that pretty lady friend of yours " Martinus warned and Galadhwen felt her heart sink as Aragorn slowly placed his sword onto the ground. The other assailants were on Aragorn and Gimli in moments, quickly disarming them and binding their hands. Martinus smirked at Galadhwen, the crossbow still aimed at her jugular. She watched as he slowly approached her, lowering his weapon as he did and she took the opportune moment to strike. Pulling out her dagger from under her cloak, Galadhwen swung it viciously at Martinus. He leapt back but not quick enough as the dagger cut through his left ear. The board cracked down hard across her elbow from behind, and her fingers went numb as she dropped her weapon.

"You are going to regret that" hissed Martinus just as the board swung down at her again, and her world went black.

* * *

Consciousness returned in the form of a sudden, excruciating pain that shot straight through her head, making her gasp and then moan from the onslaught. Galadhwen opened her eyes and stared into complete darkness, wondering if she was dreaming. But the sound of her own breathing and someone else close by told her she was not, and she started to panic. Have to get up... stand up... She started to move her hands forward and found that she could not. Something was binding her wrists, and she pulled harder as the panic started to rise.

"Galadhwen," a voice came from the dark.

"Aragorn?" she said in a loud whisper, "Where are you?"

"Shh," he answered sharply. "I'm right behind you. Keep your voice down."

She pushed back against the solid object behind her and felt Aragorn's fingers groping at her wrist until they found her left hand. She grabbed onto it tightly, her eyes wide and staring into the blackness. She managed to figure that they were tied back to back against a narrow tree.

"What about the rest of us?" she whispered.

"I do not know" Aragorn said after a long moment of silence.

"Aragorn, I am frightened" whimpered Galadhwen, the fear evident in her voice as she felt a tear escape the corner of her eye.

"I will not let anything happen to you," he finally said, and squeezed her hand again. "I promise."


	9. Don't Let Him Catch You

**Don't Let Him Catch You**

The pitch darkness of the night only added to the element of approaching doom, and the thin ropes around their wrists were far too tight. Aragorn started twisting his wrists around, testing the pull of the ropes and hoping to keep the blood circulating. Galadhwen flinched every time he did, feeling the pull against her own wrists. Soon they realized they were connected somehow by the ropes, and by combining their efforts of pulling and twisting, they had managed to create a small amount of slack by morning.

"What are you doing?" Galadhwen whispered as she suddenly felt the ropes start to slide up slightly.

"I have a knife down on my ankle," he grunted. "It's small enough they never saw. I can't reach it."

She heard his feet shuffle on the ground and realized he was trying to get them under himself and maneuver a hand around to his foot. The ropes pulled hard on her wrists as he moved, and she bit her lip as she felt them rubbing through the skin, drawing blood. Aragorn breathed heavily from his efforts as well as mounting frustration. Galadhwen gritted her teeth and twisted her right hand hard, feeling the rope cut deeper into her skin. But then she felt the rope starting to slide easier, and she realized that her own blood was lubricating the surface of the rope. She changed tactics and started trying to pull her hand out of the loop instead of loosen it, moving her hand up and down so more blood seeped and added to the rest. Aragorn made a frustrated sound and shoved hard with his feet, and she felt one of the loops slide up past her thumb.

"Do that again," she said quickly.

"Do what?" he frowned into the dark.

"Whatever you just did, it's loosening the rope around my right hand."

Aragorn pushed again, trying to recreate whatever he had done, and Galadhwen almost shouted a few minutes later as her right hand suddenly freed itself from its bonds She yanked at her left hand, finding that it was bound as tightly as ever before, and almost screamed in frustration.

"Where's that knife?" she swung her body around, still tethered to the tree by one hand, and found herself looking at the dim outline of Aragorn's profile.

"Right ankle," he said breathlessly, and he twisted his leg up higher.

"I've got it!" she gasped as her fingers found their target and pulled the small blade from its sheath. She slipped the blade between her own skin and the rope when Aragorn let out a yell. Hands grabbed at her from behind, snatching the weapon away. Someone dragged her onto her feet by the hair and she let out a cry of pain.

"I remember _this _one" he drawled as the other men formed a circle around her. She swallowed hard and looked Martinus straight in the eye.

"You bitch," he said. "I am going to make sure you suffer."

She felt her arm muscles tense involuntarily as Martinus grabbed her chin in his hand, forcing her to look up at him as he pressed his filthy body up against her. She tried not to gasp as he moved his hand to her neck and squeezed, and he grinned as he saw fear in her eyes.

"Go to hell," she yelled defiantly, and Martinus pulled back, slapping her hard across the face.

Her head snapped to the side, and he hit her again before she'd recovered from the first. She tasted blood on her lip, but spat it back in his face almost immediately. She could hear Aragorn's shouts in her ears as Martinus hit her a third time, and her vision blurred as he threw her down onto the ground. She screamed in muffled fury and terror as he flipped her over on her stomach and grabbed a handful of her hair.

"I will make you scream" he snarled in her ear, and panic rose in her throat. He clamped a hand over her mouth again as she started to scream once more, fury and frustration giving way to helplessness.

* * *

"Gimli, get up" shouted Legolas again, one hand gripping his side. The right side of his face was bruised and battered, but he was alert and more than ready to do something. He had awoken on the cold ground, his hands and feet bound however their assailants had not taken care to secure the rope properly. Within minutes, he has freed himself from his bounds and had managed to undo the binds around Gimli's legs but the ropes around the dwarfs wrists were knotted to tight and he had been forced to abandon his efforts as a woman's screams filled their ears. Legolas felt sick to his stomach as he knew the screams belonged to Galadhwen. Gimli fell onto his back again as he struggled to climb onto his feet and he let out a grunt.

"Go help the lass! Go" he shouted and Legolas hesitated for a fraction of a second before he headed into the dark.

* * *

Aragorn pulled as hard as he could on the rope that tethered him to the tree as the deranged laughs of their assailants sounded before him. He gritted his teeth as he fought through the searing pain as his bounds cut through his skin. Finally, he broke free and charged forward. Galadhwen was dimly aware of shouting, confusion and then cries of pain. The hands that were holding her suddenly withdrew. She rolled away and crawled a few feet, desperate to escape the chaos behind her even as she reassembled her clothing. Suddenly there were hands on her again, and she screamed as they gripped her shoulders, kicking out desperately at whoever was behind her.

"Galadhwen."

The sound of the name jolted her into awareness, and she turned to stare in amazement at Legolas as he hauled her to her feet and held her firmly to keep her from falling down again. Four bodies lay behind him, and she saw Aragorn pounding Martinus into the ground with his fist until he stopped moving. Aragorn let out a disgruntled cry as he stood up, swaying slightly gripping his bloodied hand. Gimli's shouts could be heard close by and she watched as he ran forward, tripping over his own feet hitting the ground hard. A nervous hysterical laughter escaped her lips and her whole body trembled as her laughter turned into terrible sobs.


End file.
